Across all health care professions, there is a heightened awareness of the way in which this country’s health care education and health care delivery systems have been ingrained to reward some at the expense of others. This is an issue that resonates with Danielle Jones, who since 2022 has served in the newly created position of vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion for the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.

“Racism and other forms of oppression within the health professions can significantly impact the health of patients, especially the most vulnerable, which is evident by our country’s alarming racial and ethnic disparities in maternal mortality,” Jones said. “I stepped into my current role at a time where the profession is ready and willing to make significant changes to address not just the culture of nursing but the practice as well.”

Jones, who is a fifth-generation Kansan, said she was well-prepared for her new role after earning her doctorate in health information management at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 2021.

“Among the most important things I learned in the program was how to systematically and effectively collect and synthesize information that could be later communicated to lay audiences, specifically, policy makers,” Jones said. “I also developed what I think should be the most important goal of any doctoral program, which is the ability to generate new information and to produce scholarly knowledge, which can make you invaluable in almost any industry.”

Jones first became interested in health policy management as a career when she was the health promotion officer assigned to the chief of staff at the U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

“It was in that role that I learned the value and impact policy had on the health of individuals and communities,” Jones said. “Pursuing a health policy degree at KU ensured I had the right skills to effectively evaluate and implement policies that could have a long-term impact on the health of communities like mine.”

When she’s not working, Jones enjoys traveling the world.

“I like to start every new year by challenging myself to experience something new,” Jones said. “I rang in 2023 in Dubai, and I have plans to explore Panama later this year.”